Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) on Wednesday said he hopes that high-speed rail (HSR) services would be extended further to make a full loop of Taiwan proper after planned extensions to Pingtung and Yilan counties.
The ministry’s long-term goal is to make the service available around the nation, Wang told Yahoo TV, adding that preliminary work in under way on extensions between Kaohsiung’s Zuoying Station and Liukuaicuo Station in Pingtung County, as well as between Taipei’s Nangang Station and a proposed new station in Yilan County.
Further extensions should be done “section by section” due to high construction costs, Wang said.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp
The ministry in 2019 said it would extend the HSR network from its southern terminus in Kaohsiung’s Zuoying District (左營) to Pingtung, expecting to spend NT$55.4 billion (US$1.88 billion) on the project.
The ministry earlier this year also decided on a location for the new HSR station near the Yilan County Government complex, as part of a proposed NT$188 billion extension along the east coast from the network’s current northern terminus in Taipei’s Nangang District (南港).
The two projects are undergoing environmental impact assessments, the ministry said, adding that construction could begin as early as 2025 and last 10 years.
Wang also commented on plans to corporatize the Taiwan Railways Administration by 2024, saying the ministry was open to raising fares once safety and service quality are assured, particularly given that the agency has been running an average annual deficit of NT$5 billion for the past five years.
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